Annual Festival of Trees Event Brings MSB Rochester Programs Together

Tree designed by Students and Staff was on display at the annual Hiawatha Homes fundraiser, “The Festival of Trees.” The five day event ran from Nov. 22 through Nov. 27 at the Mayo Civic Center.

Rochester, MN – December 10, 2011 MSB-Rochester
participated in Hiawatha Homes annual fundraiser, “The Festival of Trees.” The five day event ran from Nov. 22 through Nov.27 at the Mayo Civic Center.

Christmas trees were decorated and sold at auction for businesses to
use for their in-house holiday decoration. The proceeds from the event were used to
provide grant money to Hiawatha Homes, Inc., to help build and maintain homes,
expand support programs and invest in Hiawatha Home’s future. Support programs range from, but are not limited to, developmental disabilities,
physical impairments, brain injuries, specialized medical needs, limited mental
health issues, as well as other health disabilities.

Students and Faculty from three program areas including General Education, Paralegal and Massage Therapy participated in the event. Global Citizenship students helped with the overall tree display setup and maintenance. Apart from volunteering
during the event, the Paralegal Program conducted research on ethical issues in
working with individuals with disabilities. Massage Therapy students provided much needed massages to the festival tree designers. As a whole the
volunteers from MSB – Rochester assisted with children’s activities, served
food, greeted guests and handed out programs, and helped with the miscellaneous
needs of festival coordination.

Jennifer Kiehne, service learning coordinator said, “Participation in the Festival of
Trees enable students to use the skills and goals they are learning in their
classrooms to benefit a community partner.” She goes on to say that MSB – Rochester gained an awareness and perspective it didn’t have before and helped several programs work together for the greater good. “Our sponsorship and volunteerism were seen by and shared with other organizations and individuals throughout the event, which helps MSB take on a larger role in the Rochester community.”